Apple Pay’s Express Transit feature now available to commuters in China

China commuters can now use Apple Pay’s Express Transit feature to ride public transportation in 275 cities nationwide. That is as a result of Apple partnering with China T-Union, a contactless transit card that lets holder ride subways and buses, while receiving assorted discounts.

Apple Watch and iPhone users can set up their T-Union cards for Apple’s Express Transit. This allows users to pay their transport charges by scanning their device without having to use Touch ID or Face ID. In doing so, Apple joins Huawei, Xiaomi, and other Chinese manufacturers that already offer this service. Unfortunately, the service is not yet available to users in Hong Kong.

Apple Pay first arrived in China in February 2016, having launched in late 2014. Its arrival was delayed due to Apple’s negotiations with Chinese banks. Since then, however, Apple has been working to increase adoption of the service. Making Apple Pay an option for millions of commuters will certainly help with that.

Express Transit in China and beyond

The Express Transit Apple Pay feature is now available in several countries around the world. These include China, Japan, London in the UK, and Portland and New York City in the U.S.

A greater number of countries support Apple Pay for transit, although not in the Express Transit mode. This means that customers must authenticate their ride purchase at the transit terminal or gate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. This option is available in Australia, Russia, Canada, Singapore, China, and the U.S. You can find out more information on Apple’s official website.

Do you regularly use Apple Pay as part of your transit (or, at least, in times of non-lockdown)? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.